THE 2004 CAMPAIGN

THE 2004 CAMPAIGN; McCain Fights Old Foe Who Now Fights Kerry

By MICHAEL JANOFSKY

Published: February 14, 2004

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13—
Senator John McCain came to the defense of a fellow Vietnam War veteran, Senator John Kerry, on Friday by attacking the credibility of a North Carolina veteran who has dedicated himself to defeating Mr. Kerry in his campaign for president.

Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican, called the man, Ted Sampley, ''one of the most despicable people I have ever had the misfortune to encounter.''

Mr. Sampley, a businessman from Kinston, N.C., has gained some attention in recent days for operating a Web site devoted to attacking Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, for his opposition to the war in Vietnam after his military service. The Web site, www.vietnamveteransagainstjohn kerry.com, includes pictures from the 1970's showing Mr. Kerry at antiwar protests. One shows Mr. Kerry at a rally, sitting several rows behind Jane Fonda, who was so outspoken against the war that she was labeled a Communist by her political opponents.

In response to Mr. McCain's remarks about him, Mr. Sampley said in a telephone interview: ''It's not the first time he said that. That's his opinion. It's unbecoming of a senator to say things like that, but I'm fair game just like he is.''

In 1993, Mr. Sampley was convicted of misdemeanor assault and sentenced to 180 days' probation for attacking a legislative aide to Mr. McCain.

A self-proclaimed champion for veterans' rights, Mr. Sampley has been criticizing Mr. Kerry for much the same reason he made Mr. McCain a target for years: Neither man, Mr. Sampley contends, has done enough to investigate his claim that American servicemen were left behind in Vietnam after the war.

Mr. Sampley once called Mr. McCain, who was held captive for five years in North Vietnam, ''the Manchurian Candidate,'' a reference to a 1962 film in which a Communist-controlled candidate nearly becomes his party's candidate for president.

In a recent statement posted on his Web site, Mr. Sampley made a similar suggestion, saying: ''I have personally dealt with John Kerry on the issue of U.S. P.O.W.s left behind in Vietnam. Kerry is not truthful and is not worthy of the support of U.S. veterans. Many Vietnam vets have been duped into thinking Kerry is their friend. He is not. To us, he is 'Hanoi John.' ''

In defending Mr. Kerry, Mr. McCain -- who has campaigned for President Bush this year -- said of Mr. Sampley: ''I consider him a fraud who preys on the hopes of family members of missing servicemen for his own profit. He is dishonorable, an enemy of the truth, and despite his claims, he does not speak for or represent the views of all but a few veterans.''

Mr. Sampley is not the only person actively seeking to discredit Mr. Kerry. In recent days, a picture showing Mr. Kerry at a podium with Ms. Fonda has circulated on the Internet. But the picture is a hoax, according to the photo agency that owns the original, Corbis. In the original photo, Mr. Kerry is alone at the podium.

Photos: In this original photo from June 13, 1970, John Kerry prepared to give a speech at the Register for Peace Rally in Mineola, N.Y. (Photo by Ken Light/Corbis); This doctored photo circulating on the Internet places Jane Fonda, an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War, next to John Kerry.